


Eternal batteries and flourishing minds

by kisstheloststars



Category: Ookiku Furikabutte | Big Windup!, oofuri
Genre: Angst, Angst and Humor, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Awkward Romance, Baseball, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Friendship/Love, Future, Future Fic, Humor, Light Angst, Love, Love Confessions, Love Triangles, M/M, Moving, Moving On, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Social Anxiety, True Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-19 05:00:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16527860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kisstheloststars/pseuds/kisstheloststars
Summary: Mihashi Ren found that being unable to find the words when it came to bidding farewell to his teammates was painful, but the most painful thing about this entire situation was having to part from Abe Takaya.





	1. The Most Painful Thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there dear readers!!~ <3
> 
> Yes, this time it's one of my other ultimate OTPS, ABEMIHA. THEY'RE SO CANON TBH. I'm planning for this story to be around 15 chapters long, so buckle up for some hopefully consistent, weekly updates on Sundays! :D
> 
> A huge thank you to Cheri, Roman, Twi, Steph, and Lea for taking the time to discuss the story with me/inform me/comment/encourage me!! Y'all are so sweet and awesome <3
> 
> Please enjoy reading!~ <3

_Parting from Abe Takaya was the most painful thing for Mihashi Ren._

With the summer season making itself well known over the prefecture of Saitama, home to the students of Nishiura high school, the cicadas and birds were crying out in the early hours of the morning, with the sun peeking through the clouds, mountains, and buildings. The sky itself was a hue of blue, orange, and purple, mixing together to create a beautiful dawn, which Ren knew he wouldn’t forget – for quite a while, at least.

Currently, the Nishiura baseball team had accumulated outside of his house - as the browny-orange-haired pitcher was stood uncomfortably in front of his team, fiddling with his fingers, Ren’s mother, Naoe, and his father, Reiichi, were loading their car up with packed up boxes and suitcases in a tired (yet determined) manner.

The Mihashi family were never the 'early bird type', after all, groggy and half-awake in the mornings - but despite this, they were currently being helped out by Momoe Maria (better known as Momokan), the team's loyal coach, who currently had her sleeves rolled up to her elbows.

The youthful woman's regularly let down hair, long and richly brown in colour, was tied up at the moment, and she was zipping in and out of the house like clockwork, hazel eyes sparkling.

Ren noticed that the woman had just called Shino'oka Chiyo over from the group casually, in order to receive some help with one of the suitcases in particular. Chiyo was the baseball club's hardworking manager, with short brown hair, kind grey eyes, and a petite figure. Truthfully, Ren’s interactions with her were minimalistic, but he would miss having someone around who could understand how he felt.

Alongside the coach and the manager was Tsuyoshi Shiga, the faculty supervisor of the team, and famously known as Shigapou by the players - his upper body strength was much appreciated as he took the heavier items with Reiichi, and loaded them into the moving van, readjusting his glasses every few minutes, and running a hand through his dark black hair.

Ren couldn’t lie – the current sight was an extremely surreal one.

" _Uh, hey…your mum's driving?_ "

Ren jolted at the sudden question which Hanai Azusa, the team's captain, had asked, keeping his gray eyes fixed on the shorter boy.

With a certain hint of concern laced in his voice, Azusa's appearance was quite the sight this morning, since he usually wore a hat to cover his shaved head.

He hadn't today - probably because the weather was far too warm to do so, Ren guessed – even for casual clothing.

"Y--yeah..." The pitcher stammered out, fiddling with his fingers one again, "M-my dad's going to drive the moving van..." He added on meekly, attempting a small smile at Azusa.

It probably came out as a lopsided mess, however, as Ren noticed Azusa strain himself with a twitch to smile back, equally as awkward.

" _Obaasan! Where shall I put this box?_ "

"Ah, that one goes in the van!" Naoe called back, prompting Ren to look over at the boy with shoulder length, shaggy blond hair, who went by the name of Hamada Yoshiro.

"H-Hama-chan, let me help!" Ren called out quickly, running up to his taller, towering childhood friend, urging him to pass the box over.

He just couldn't bear another moment of awkwardness with Azusa, and Yoshiro looked like he really did need some help – he was sweating pinballs right now, even though his sleeves were rolled up like Momokan’s.

Instead, Yoshiro shook his head sternly, patting Ren on the back repeatedly.

"Go and say your goodbyes, Mihashi! We'll take care of the rest here!" The taller reassured with a friendly grin, causing Ren to tense up.

"I'm...awful and awkward with saying goodbyes, though.." The pitcher stammered out, cocking an eyebrow slightly out of uncertainty.

Before Ren knew it, however, his emotions began to overwhelm him – the setting, the people he was surrounded by, how it was all going to change.

The insurmountable feelings triggered the pitcher’s tears to begin to pool in his eyes, and Ren could feel the rhythm of his breathing become slightly uneven.

"Mihashi, they came for  _you_...You can't ignore them." Yoshiro replied softly, after noticing the boy’s mannerisms - he then paused for a moment in thought, blinking, "This...is really the last time you're going to see us, right?" He questioned in reminder, tilting his head slightly.

Ren nodded hesitantly.

"But—but! I-I don't know what to say or do." The shorter stammered out, knowing that he couldn't cry. Instead, Ren sniffled deeply, and wiped his eyes with his sleeve repeatedly.

"Mihashi...just be yourself. Words don't matter." 

Ren parted his lips at receiving such a reply from Yoshiro, who hadn't waited for an answer - instead, the taller blond skipped over to the moving van, put the box he was carrying in, then instantly made his way towards helping Shiga, who was carrying a heavier-looking box out of the house with a few strained grunts.

Ren knew that this was his cue to return back to where he was originally stood – in front of his teammates, who were currently conversing, fiddling around in their bags, or fiddling with their phones - not really knowing how to say their goodbyes to Ren, either. They were just as clueless as he was, and such a fact soothed the boy slightly, after standing back in front of the group, rubbing his arm awkwardly.

" _Hey, Ren-Ren, do you really have to go?!_ " 

The pitcher instantly noticed that it was his good friend, Tajima Yuuichirou, who had asked such a straightforwardly dumb question in a whiny tone, and couldn't help but offer a wiry smile, despite disliking the occasional nickname 'Ren-Ren', nodding his head mechanically in reply.

Of course, Yuuichirou scrunched his face up at the fact that nothing could change what was happening, illustrating the freckles scattered across the bridge of his nose. The short boy additionally began pulling on the strands of his spiky black hair, before ruffling it up altogether, clearly annoyed - letting out a huff, much to Azusa's dismay, he then folded his arms.

"B-but Yu-kun, I can...still text all of you!" Ren offered hopefully, face flushing slightly, tensing his shoulders up.

After a few moments of silence as Yuuichirou stared at Ren in surprise, lips parted and eyes wide, the boy couldn't help but grin and nod, enveloping the pitcher into a bear hug upon jumping on him.

"H-hey, you're suffocating him, Yuu."

"This is the only chance I'll get once he leaves, so lemme have this, Kosuke!" Yuuichirou replied defensively, leaning back and loosening his grip on the pitcher, who was audibly gasping for breath, "Won't  _you_  miss him?!" He inquired, arms over Ren's shoulders in a lazy hug.

The question prompted the laid back boy with shoulder length brown hair, Izumi Kosuke, to tense up, part his lips, and squint his blue eyes.

After a few moments of silence, however, Ren’s eyes widened in shock – he stared at the extremely rare sight, which was Kosuke tearing up. Ren additionally noticed that the boy’s lips were trembling, and he was attempting to stay as lowkey as possible.

"O-- _of course I am!_ " Kosuke snapped, his broken voice becoming far too audible, and the tears visibly falling. 

Ren instantly gasped and began scrambling around in his pockets for any kind of tissue he may find, but of course, Yuuichirou’s hugging got in the way of finding one – so, Ren was left holding his hands up in a panic, attempting to reassure Kosuke that it would be alright.

"K-Kosuke-kun!" Ren stuttered, taking a small, frail step forward, causing Yuuichirou to follow suite, "Please don't cry!"

"Ren, we'll miss you so much!"

This time, another teammate who went by the name of Mizutani Fumiki began crying audibly, pulling Yuuichirou off of the ace pitcher, much to Yuuichirou’s own dismay. Fumiki then flung himself onto Ren in a bone-crushing hug, strands of his red, shaggily middle-parted hair ambushing Ren's face, with Kosuke following suite, and joining the crowded hug.

Ren was overwhelmed by the amount of emotion that his teammates were currently putting on display – especially today, of all days.

They were never this distressed, unless they had just lost a game. 

Sure, they were extremely shocked a week ago upon finding out that, three months into their second year at Nishiura, their ace pitcher would be moving to the heart of Tokyo.

Around an hour by car, yet feeling like forever away, news of Ren's transfer was widespread - but they didn't  _cry_  over it, that day.

Momokan had even organised a leaving party for him a few days ago, to which he received a bunch of presents from his teammates - sweets, snacks, photo albums, fresh baseballs, cards, flowers, and far more. Ren was touched by their caring nature, moving him to tears - he didn't believe he deserved their kindness. Additionally, he had received a new pitcher's glove from Coach Momoe, Shiga-sensei, and Chiyo, making sure to use that exact glove from now on, every day.

His teammates' parents also showed up with far too many plates of food, and thanked him for being the ace of the team, to which Ren almost fainted at being told. It was currently summer break for the team, and although they were supposed to be training, they were preoccupied with making sure Ren enjoyed his last few days in Saitama, and received a proper send off (albeit a bit of a shaky one, since they were too busy crying).

To the pitcher, today was, once again, extremely surreal.

It was usually _him_ crying in front of so many people -  _not the other way around._

Although, the tears  _were_  practically inches away from falling over the edge of Ren’s eyelashes, and he began sniffing repeatedly once again, shoulders tensed up.

All in all, Ren could only wonder why the team was overcome with such physical emotion, unable to place his finger on the reason behind it. But the question made him pause, and spiral into even more thought.

Wait, was he supposed to know  _why_  they were overcome with such emotion? Would they  _hate_  him if he didn’t know?

Ren shivered slightly, despite the warm weather.

"The reality sure is hitting everyone today, huh?" The boy with short brown hair and blue eyes inquired, going by the name of Sakaeguchi Yuto. 

His soft, youthful face had melancholy written all over it, despite the current smile he had put on display – Ren noticed that it was Yuto's blue eyes which gave him away entirely, and parted his lips in surprise.

After having Kosuke and Fumiki release him from their grip, Ren approached his very good friend with a small smile, clenching his fists and pressing them up against his chest, shoulders tensed up.

"Y-Yuto-kun! I'll--I---I'll miss y-you---"

" _Ah, Ren, you idiot! Don't say it!_ " Yuto interrupted quickly, pulling the boy's arm in and hugging him quickly, face flushed, "You're not gonna see me cry today!" He snapped, and Ren's eyes remained wide for a few moments.

That is, until he could feel Yuto's body trembling - the boy began making quiet sniffling sounds, and exhaling shakily every few seconds. Ren rubbed his friend's back in awkward reassurance with a smile as he nodded. Yeah, he knew this feeling well – extremely well – it was all too familiar to him, so he could emphathise easily.

"Come on, Yuto, or you'll make us cry, too!" The boy with a shaved head and a relatively big nose, who went by the name of Suyama Shoji, urged sensitively, placing a hand on the shorter boy's shoulder. 

His grey eyes also threatened to shed tears at any moment, Ren noticed, despite his smile – bearing similarity to Yuto, his eyes, which were locked with Ren’s, also gave himself away.

This time, the boy with a slender face, shaggy black hair, and green eyes, Nishihiro Shintaro, gently pulled Sakaeguchi off of Ren, offering him a couple of tissues to wipe his eyes with, and blow his nose. 

"Sorry, Ren, we're just really going to miss you." Shintaro stated with an awkward smile, and Ren nodded rapidly.

"M-me too! I'm...not going to be happy leaving this team!" He stuttered out. 

"Kazutoshi and Azusa will try their best as the pitchers!" Yuuichirou reassured, placing a hand on the two mentioned boys' shoulders, causing them to jump slightly in shock.

" _Hey, don't rub it in!_ " Azusa scolded as he turned his head towards Yuuichirou, before sending an unsure look Ren's way. 

"I--I'm very stubborn when it comes to giving up the mound!" Ren beamed, "B-but if--if it's Azusa-kun and Kazutoshi-kun, then I-I don't have any worries!" 

“See?” Yuuichirou beamed at Azusa, unable to help a small, cocky grin.

Of course, Oki Kazutoshi, the boy stood by Azusa's side with a large button nose, and short black, poshly styled hair (with some strands refusing to stay flat), instantly began crying at the reply, resulting in Ren to scramble around in a panic once again in search of tissues, and Azusa to pinch the bridge of his nose whilst sighing out. Of course, this was Shintaro's cue to offer more tissues (which he did).

" _Re-n!_ " Naoe called out, the fatigue evident in her voice - this prompted the young pitcher to turn around and look her way, "We're almost finished with loading everything up!" She informed, and all of a sudden, the reality had hit Ren all at once, all over again.

Ren tensed up, widened his eyes, and gulped, before nodding repeatedly, turning back towards the group in a hurry.

"I--..."

Yet the words failed him, and the group was now silently looking at him in concern – at some point, Chiyo had also returned to the group, offering a small smile in Ren’s direction, causing him to gulp.

After a few moments, Ren instinctively looked towards the other member of the Nishiura battery – the pitcher anticipated for his catcher, a taller, dark-haired boy, to say something that would lead the conversation – whenever he did so, Ren noticed the way Takaya’s green eyes would be gleaming with confidence and passion.

_But that wasn't the case this time._

Mihashi Ren found that being unable to find the words when it came to bidding farewell to his teammates was painful, but the most painful thing about this entire situation was having to part from Abe Takaya.

The pitcher didn't dare to ask what his teammate was feeling in the moment - and although he doubted that the catcher would admit it, even if he did ask, Ren knew that, deep down, just a small part of Takaya felt the same way. 

The catcher's expression was tense, after all - which was nothing new, but there was a different kind of tension applied to his shoulders, and his stance overall. His eyebrows were furrowed, his lips were tightly closed, and his arms were folded - to Ren, the boy stood like he knew exactly who he was, and bore similarity to Azusa, who was stood by the catcher’s side.

The pitcher envied Takaya immensely so, and was thankful that  _he_  was what made them a battery throughout the year.

But how in the world could he go about saying such a thing, in front of so many people? How in the world could he go about holding Takaya’s hand one last time, in front of so many people? He wanted to see how Takaya was feeling, based on his warmth – tense? Or relaxed? He wanted Takaya to do that thing he always did when they held hands – to run his fingers along his palm, silently inspecting his bristles and calluses with furrowed eyebrows, evidently concerned about his health. Then go on to scold him, even.

Truthfully, Ren wished he could stay at Nishiura – he didn’t want to leave his teammates – his friends – behind. Having sick days in the past were bad enough, but to move away? The thought made Ren tear up for what seemed like the thousandth time this morning, and he couldn’t help but crouch down, trembling.

"Ren, why don't you tell him what you're thinking?" Yuto asked with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah, instead of just staring at him?" Yuuichirou inquired curiously, blinking down at the boy.

Ren jumped up quickly at the questions, before blinking in realisation, parting his lips - that's right.

He was so absorbed in nothing but Takaya, that he totally forgot - this would be the last time that they would see each other.

" _Ren!_ ” Takaya snapped, and Ren jumped all at once.

“ _Y-Yes?!_ ” He asked, equally as loud, but audibly nervous.

“This won't be the last time we see each other!" Takaya replied, placing a firm hand on the pitcher’s shoulder.

Of course, Ren jumped once again - physical contact with Takaya was either a good thing, or a bad thing. From the way Takaya had snapped this time, however, Ren guessed that it was probably bad, and couldn’t help but tremble once again, lips quivering.

Takaya paused slightly and widened his eyes in realisation, before withdrawing his hand, and taking a short step back. He couldn't help but sigh silently, closing his eyes momentarily. The boy then attempted a half-smile, trying to look into Ren’s eyes, yet unable to do so – instead, he glanced at the shorter from time to time, looking around awkwardly.

"Look, I, uh..." 

_But the words, just like Ren's, had failed him._

The pitcher put his trembling and fear to a halt at such a realisation - pursing his lips awkwardly, and glancing down at the floor every few seconds, he then took a step closer towards Takaya, tilting his head slightly.

“A-Abe…-kun?” He asked.

" _Could you say my first name?!_ ” Takaya yelled out in question, face flushed.

The entire group jumped in shock, before actually registering the question – of course, they all parted their lips, and gawked in shock; including Ren, whereas those helping with the move remained as oblivious as ever. Takaya frowned out of embarrassment, and couldn’t help but squint his eyes. Yet he didn’t back down, and took Ren’s right hand in both of his, holding it up for everyone to see.

“J-Just once, before you leave…?" The catcher added on in question, relatively quiet as he stared down at the floor, “I can wait. As long as it takes.”

Ren stared worriedly at the catcher, before looking around at the group, who were still wide-eyed by Takaya’s display of honest vulnerability. The pitcher then gulped and parted his lips to speak.

"T-t…Ta…Takaya...-kun." Ren addressed, feeling himself about to shut down completely.

" _Just Takaya!_ " The catcher snapped all of a sudden, letting go of Ren’s hand, and instead, threatening to pull the shorter into a headlock, grinding his knuckles into his head if he didn't comply. Ren, of course, cried out nervously at Takaya’s questionable attitude.

" _Hey, Takaya, don't bully Ren!_ " Yuuichirou snapped, "You know he can't say someone's name without adding '-kun' on the end!" He stated.

“Yeah, you’re being too overbearing on him.” Kosuke added on with a cocked eyebrow, "Didn't you say that y' would wait as long as it takes?”

“That’s right, that’s right!” Fumiki stated in protest.

" _Just this once!_ " Takaya snapped, although to Ren, it was more like a command, rather than a plead. 

“A-Abe-kun, I think you should stop...” Chiyo spoke up with a nervous laugh.

“She’s right, Takaya.” Azusa added on, tilting his head with another sigh – this was no different from the usual occurance.

“ _Huh!?_ ” Takaya snapped, "Why?! We’re losing our ace, and I’m losing my partner! He’s leaving us, so I think he owes me a first-name, at least!" He added on, before looking back at the pitcher, “Right, Ren?!”

"B-But…m-my Mum was offered a job at a highly-ranked university...I didn’t ch-choose to l—leave…that's why---"

"I know  _why_  you need to go, idiot!" Takaya snapped, "And I  _get_  that you can't help it! I'm not mad at  _you! I'm just---..._ " 

Yuto placed a hand on Ren's shoulder with a smile.

"What he's saying, Ren, is that he wants you to stay." The boy stated.

Ren instantly felt his entire body heat up at being told such a thing, the summer season aside – his face flushed, his eyes widened, and his shoulders tensed up. With parted lips, Ren quickly took Takaya’s left hand in his right, shaking off the feeling that he was about to faint.

"T-T…Takaya...-k…” Ren gulped, swallowing the honorifics he was accustomed to down as well, “...I …I…d-don't want to leave, either…"

Takaya grew bug-eyed at the reply, and gaped, repeatedly looking down at their entwined hands, then back up at Ren’s face, locking eyes with the boy.

The silence was deafening between the two, and with the group equally as silent, it was suddenly broken (not including the cicadas and birds).

“ _Hu-g!_  Hug! Hug! Hug! Hug! Hug! Hug!” Yuuichirou began chanting excessively, clearly enthusiastic.

Eventually, Yuto also joined in, until the entire group was calling out in unison around Takaya and Ren, evidently happy for the two of them, and the progression in their relationship.

The catcher quickly snatched his own hand out of Ren’s, feeling embarrassment overcome him all at once - having the team chant so loudly merely fed into the embarrassing nature of the whole situation.

However, Ren’s expression, from what Takaya could see, was bashful – the pitcher was slightly smiling, even, shocking the catcher once again.

After a few moments of composing himself by sighing out, Takaya’s expression became deadpan, and held his arms out, gesturing for Ren to take a step forward to connect their bodies through a hug.

Ren blinked curiously, dumbfounded at what Takaya was gesturing upon processing the sight.

After what seemed like forever, Ren edged closer and closer towards the catcher, evidently wary that it might be a trap of some sort. Takaya then huffed out impatiently and rolled his eyes, before grabbing Ren by the arm gently, and pulling him in towards his chest. Of course, it was relatively easy to do so, since the pitcher was pretty small and frail, and easily tripped over his legs in a comical fashion, resulting in friendly laughter from the group.

“S-Sorry, Abe-kun…” Ren began with a nervous laugh, attempting to match the mood of the group.

With his eyebrows tilted upwards, Ren realised once again that this would be the last time himself and Takaya would be this close.

Takaya stared down at the smiling boy in his arms, rather taken aback – the catcher noticed the way Ren’s brown eyes would be on clear display, and not covered by his baseball cap, or his hair, when looking up at him.

Too bad he only realised it today, of all days.

“No, it’s fine.” Takaya replied monotonously, quickly squeezing the boy’s body to finish their hug, and bring the group’s chanting to a stop.

After pulling away entirely, Abe Takaya didn’t really know what to do with himself.

He watched the ex-ace pitcher of Nishiura, Mihashi Ren, finalise his goodbyes with the team -obviously ending up with the shorter boy in tears.

Ren then thanked Yoshiro with a prolonged hug, before thanking Shigapou and Momokan – this resulted in the two to scoop Ren up simultaneously, clearly emotional as they said their goodbyes, much to Ren’s surprise. After a while, the shorter then petted Ai-chan for a prolonged amount of time.

And finally, he then did one last formal bow with his parents, thanking the group extremely so for everything throughout the year, and that they would never forget them.

As Ren stared out of the back-window of his mother’s car, which was now on the move, crowded with luggage and boxes, and behind the moving van, the last thing he saw was what made up a majority of his happiness – waving enthusiastically at him, with no intention of stopping any time soon, until he was out of sight completely.

 _Above all of that, however, Mihashi Ren found that parting from Abe Takaya was the most painful thing._

* * *

The Day After:

(10:09) Abe Takaya: How did the move go, Ren?

(10:10) Mihashi Ren:  _Well! Really well! We’re still unpacking, though._

(10:12) Abe Takaya: Make sure you don’t overdo it.

(10:13) Abe Takaya: If you do, you could end up with strain on your arms and legs. Or worse: injuries.

(10:13) Mihashi Ren: _Yes! Thank you, Abe-kun!_

(10:17) Abe Takaya: Don’t mention it.

(10:17) Abe Takaya: Was the journey okay?

(10:18) Mihashi Ren:  _Yeah! It was only an hour, but it really did feel like forever._

(10:18) Mihashi Ren:  _I slept so well after crying so much, haha!_

(10:19) Abe Takaya: Yeah, travelling and leaving Saitama does that to you.

(10:20) Abe Takaya: But that’s besides the point!

(10:22) Abe Takaya: Around four weeks of summer break are left. So make sure you're eating and training well.

(10:23)Mihashi Ren: _I will! And you too, Abe-kun! Be safe!_

(10:24) Abe Takaya: Oi, Ren.

(10:24) Abe Takaya: I don’t wanna hear that from  _you_ , of all people. You're 100 years too early to be telling  _me_  that.

(10:24) Mihashi Ren: _Sorry, Abe-kun!（・⌔・；）_

(10:25) Abe Takaya: I’ll stop texting you now – get some rest.

(10:26)  Mihashi Ren:  _Thank you, Abe-kun!_

* * *

Two Days After:

 (14:20) Mihashi Ren: _We’re fully settled in, Abe-kun!_

_(14:21) [Mihashi has sent an attachment.]_

_[_ _Do you wish to open the attachment ‘Mihashi’ has sent?]_

_[Yes]_

(14:23) Abe Takaya: Oh, wow.

(14:24) Abe Takaya: Looks like it all came together in the end.

(14:26) Mihashi Ren: _Yes! My mum and dad are really tired, too!_

(14:35) Abe Takaya: I can imagine.

(14:35) Abe Takaya: Was that your room, then?

(14:36) Mihashi Ren: _Yes, it is!_

(14:37) Abe Takaya: Bit too big, don’t you think?

(14:38) Mihashi Ren:  _I’m not sure. I just want it to feel like home._

(14:40) Mihashi Ren:  _I’m scared that it won’t._

(14:45) Abe Takaya: It will.

(14:46) Abe Takaya: In time.

(14:47) Abe Takaya: I need to go to baseball practise now, so I’ll talk to you in a while.

(14:50) Mihashi Ren:  _Yup! See you soon, Abe-kun! I’ll train hard, too!_

(14:51) Abe Takaya: Don't overdo it, Ren.

* * *

Two Days After: 

(23:00) Mihashi Ren:  _Abe-kun? Are you awake?_

(23:01) Mihashi Ren:  _I’m so sorry for waking you up if you weren’t._

(23:01) Abe Takaya: Sure am. ‘Sup?

(23:04) Mihashi Ren:  _I can’t sleep._

(23:05) Mihashi Ren:  _I’m so worried about becoming a pitcher at my new school. I feel like it won’t be like Nishiura at all, and that I’ll have the position of ace ripped away from me._

(23:06) Mihashi Ren:  _I_

(23:06) Mihashi Ren:  _I like being a pitcher_

(23:07) Mihashi Ren:  _And I want to win._

(23:08) Abe Takaya: Ren, d’you remember what Shigapou said back in our first year at Nishiura?

(23:09) Mihashi Ren:  _???_

(23:10) Abe Takaya: He said to think only good thoughts when trying to go to sleep, to activate Dopamine and all that.

(23:11) Abe Takaya: You should listen to his advice.

(23:12) Abe Takaya: Also, you haven’t been over-pitching, right?

(23:13) _Mihashi Ren: I’m trying, but the thought won’t go away. I am tired, but I just can’t sleep._

(23:13) Mihashi Ren:  _And no, I haven’t._

(23:18) Mihashi Ren:  _Abe-kun?_

(23:18) Abe Takaya: I was deciding on whether or not I should believe you.

(23:20) Mihashi Ren:  _Please believe me!_

(23:22) Abe Takaya: Look, that aside, if your new high school doesn’t have you as their ace pitcher, or a regular, at least, then they’re stupid. And it won’t be like Nishiura, for sure. No place is the exact same but the mound. Remember that.

(23:23) Mihashi Ren:  _There’s no place to hide on the mound._

(23:24) Abe Takaya: Right. So don’t worry for now.

(23:25) Abe Takaya: There’s some time until your first day, right?

(23:26) Mihashi Ren:  _Yeah._

(23:27) Abe Takaya: Then practise as hard as you can, to show off your skills.

(23:28) Abe Takaya: Without overdoing it, obviously.

(23:28) Mihashi Ren:  _Thank you, Abe-kun. I’ll do that._

(23:29) Abe Takaya: Seriously, if you overdo it, I’ll know.

(23:30) Mihashi Ren:  _Okay, Abe-kun._

(23:31) Abe Takaya: Seriously, Ren. I’m being serious.

(23:32) Mihashi Ren:  _O_

(23:32) Mihashi Ren:  _Okay ;;_

(23:33) Abe Takaya: G’night.

* * *

The Day After:

(16:40) Abe Takaya: Hey, what else did you guys do after I left during practise?

(16:41) Mihashi Ren:  _Abe-kun?!_

(16:42) Abe Takaya: Oh, sorry, my bad. I meant to text Fumiki

(16:42) Mihashi Ren:  _Abe-kun, are you okay!?_

(16:43) Abe Takaya: Yeah, no, I’m fine. I wasn’t feeling too great today, so I headed home a bit earlier than the other guys.

(16:44) Abe Takaya: Don’t worry about me.

(16:45) Abe Takaya: Instead, how are you doing after last night?

(16:46) Mihashi Ren:  _A lot better! What you said really helped me! I actually slept decently._

(16:48) Abe Takaya: That’s good to hear.

(16:49) Mihashi Ren:  _Please rest, Abe-kun! I’ll stop texting now!_

(16:53) Abe Takaya: Thanks, Ren.

* * *

Two Days After:

(6:00) Mihashi Ren:  _Abe-kun!_

(6:02) Mihashi Ren:  _Are you there?_

(6:03) Abe Takaya: I am now.

(6:04) Abe Takaya: 6am, Ren? Really?

(6:05) Mihashi Ren:  _No, I know, I’m sorry, but I_

(6:06) Mihashi Ren:  _I got up early today_

(6:06) Abe Takaya: And?

(6:07) Mihashi Ren:  _And I began thinking about my strike zone!_

(6:08) Abe Takaya: Don’t tell me you want to de-split it from nine into six or something…

(6:09) Mihashi Ren:  _How did you know, Abe-kun!?_

(6:10) Abe Takaya: No.

(6:10) Abe Takaya: Absolutely not.

(6:11) Abe Takaya: We already discussed this back in our first year, Ren.

(6:12) Abe Takaya: If you de-split the strike zone, then you lose and mess up your control.

(6:14) Mihashi Ren:  _But I hear that this school prefers speed over control, Abe-kun!_

(6:16) Abe Takaya: Look, I’m not advising you as your ex-catcher, but as a friend

(6:17) Abe Takaya: Just drop the idea – it’ll hurt you.

(6:17) Mihashi Ren:  _Okay, Abe-kun. I’ll listen to you._

* * *

Two Weeks Later:

(15:02) Abe Takaya: Hey, I know it’s been two weeks since we last spoke, but how are you?

(15:03) Abe Takaya: I got worried when you stopped messaging.

(15:04) Mihashi Ren:  _I’ve been practising my pitching, Abe-kun! Not overdoing it, obviously, but I’m feeling a bit reassured._

(15:05) Mihashi Ren:  _Have you been practising, too?_

(15:06) Mihashi Ren:  _How is the team?_

(15:17) Abe Takaya: Sorry, I was dealing with Yuu’s dumb ass. He’s at my place, parading around and announcing to the whole world that he forgot to masturbate  _again_.

(15:18) Mihashi Ren:  _haha ;;_

(15:19) Abe Takaya: But yeah, no, I’ve been practising a lot.

(15:20) Abe Takaya: Azusa’s gotten a lot better in a short amount of time with his pitching.

(15:21) Abe Takaya: Momokan’s as strict as ever with her teaching strategies.

(15:22) Mihashi Ren:  _That’s good to hear!_

(15:23) Abe Takaya: Yeah.

(15:25) Abe Takaya: So anyway, I gotta go now – my brother needs help with his summer homework and all that

(15:25) _Mihashi Ren: Bye, Abe-kun!_

(15:26) Abe Takaya: Bye, Ren.

* * *

After a while of slow and gradual social transitioning, Ren noticed that his phone was no longer buzzing with messages from Abe, Tajima, Hanai, and the others throughout the day, like it once used to - the contact names he had accumulated back at Nishiura were now... _there, of all things, filling up a relatively empty space on Ren’s contact list_.

Maybe they were just busy with training and studying - yeah, that's right - Ren could vouch for them. He used to be there, after all. He used to be a part of their team – their ace pitcher, in fact. He knew that they were just  _busy_.

And eventually, over the course of a few years, though painful, Ren forgot most of his memories at Nishiura.

The memories were then replaced by the bustling city of Tokyo, his new high school, and his new baseball team. 

On his first day at his new high school, Ren approached their baseball club nervously, only to be welcomed by the fellow second years, and the upperclassmen in the third year. With only a handful of first years, the team was, overall, oddly accepting of the rare pitching ability that Ren had demonstrated for them, instantly giving him the regular pitcher position. 

With no hard feelings from the original regular pitcher of the team, who seemed far more interested in being a pinch hitter, Ren was instantly put to work, being assigned to a new catcher for training.

The boy knew that he would eventually have to deal with forming a new battery, upon parting ways from Takaya – Ren additionally realised that, in order to get somewhere, he had to stand on his own two feet. 

It was no easy thing, building up his confidence – but the pitcher attempted it to the best of his abilities, with the help of his peers, his parents, and his coach. Of course, Ren’s mood and confidence fluctuated - some days, he just wanted to give up – stay in bed and cry, or return back to Saitama, where Nishiura was used to this wimpy side of his.

But Ren knew, deep down, that the change in his personality couldn't happen overnight.

So, he persisted in changing himself for the better - alongside that, he knew that he had to come to proper, personal terms with what had happened to him back at Mihoshi - despite their apologies after he had joined Nishiura, and the practise game against them - for his own sake.

After a while, Ren decided that he was going to choose what kind of catcher he wanted to trust, and that he  _could_  shake his head no at their signs, without feeling the crushing weight of insurmountable guilt.

Ren remembered the way Takaya, upon his leg injury, and Nishiura's loss, had apologised sincerely to him for ordering him to never shake his head at his signs, and stated that he was wrong.

Ren's new catcher was a first year - not quite as knowledgeable as Takaya, but somewhat easier to communicate with. Ren took it upon himself to put what Takaya had taught him tactic-wise to use. However, the team wasn't strong enough when the tournament season rolled about - they were relatively weak, and lost pretty early on. 

Of course, Ren felt frustrated - but, it made his ambition flourish. He hadn't seen Nishiura around, either - from what he was told, they weren't as powerful in tournaments, after their ace pitcher had transferred away, losing relatively early on, too.

On top of all of that, Ren had his fair share of experience in regards to family rows, awkwardly hormonal and testosterone-fuelled situations, and issues with the new friends he had made along the way.

Eventually, the pitcher graduated from high school, and continued playing competitive ball in university. His team was decently good, managing to get quite far in tournaments - Ren even had multiple scouts, alongside his catcher. But being far too afraid to act upon their offers put him at a disadvantage, not giving an answer until it was too late, and they were no longer interested, or had found someone else.

_Despite his development as a person, Mihashi Ren’s indecisive nature still remained._

_After graduating at the tender age of 21, six years had gone by in a flash_  - Ren found his body, particularly his legs, aching extremely so, until he figured out that he was just growing. His face was less childlike, and more structured, with his body doing the same. He was less bone, and a bit more muscle - just slightly, though.

Right, he was just growing, and forgetting his teammates at Nishiura was a part of the process.

_So why couldn't he forget about Abe Takaya, after all of these years, in particular?_


	2. The other 5%

He was once a student at Nishiura high school, as well as the ace pitcher of its baseball team. Although he couldn't remember certain faces and names correctly, he still knew that his ex-teammates were good, kind people. 

By his second year of high school, he had moved out of the Saitama prefecture, and instead, lived in Tokyo - all the while wondering how his old teammates were doing, as they had stopped texting him a few weeks after the move. But they were just  _busy_. 

Eventually, the pitcher's phone had malfunctioned, and he had lost all of their contact details - which, to be honest, he wasn't really all that fussed over. He was in his final year of high school at Tokyo, after all, and had moved on friendship-wise.

Well, only 95%. 

_The other 5% was occupied by the thoughts and reminders of Abe Takaya._

Losing his number, and his texts, of all things, was a total nightmare. 

Mihashi Ren could recall that parting from his ex-catcher was the most painful thing. 

Looking back on everything now, he wished he could have pitched to Takaya more - Ren wanted to show the catcher the progression in his self-confidence, and how he now carried himself. 

There was so much that he still needed to tell Takaya. He hadn't told him anything yet. He hadn't thanked him for everything properly enough. Ren knew that, and yet, pushed the thought aside. They wouldn't meet again. The chances were slim. 

After all, 9 years had passed - Ren was now 24 years old, and it had been three years since his graduation from university, at the age of 21. 

Another contributing factor was that, now, Abe Takaya and Tajima Yuuichirou had gone into pro baseball. They were players on an Eastern League team, called the Urawanishi Lions. 

Ren had seen the two on television multiple times, due to their famous matches, as well as their many interviews. It would be difficult to get close to them - they were up and coming sports celebrities.

But, on the off chance that Ren were to meet Takaya again, he knew that, at this point, he would have the confidence to thank him without stuttering.

_And even if he did, Takaya would wait patiently._

Ren saw through the interviews that the catcher had matured quite a lot, and his face had grown more handsomely-structured - he was a lot more relaxed, and less of an obsessive perfectionist. Tajima still had a childlike, carefree air about him, but seemed quite serious in the official games and interviews, when it came down to it. It was almost like the two had swapped bodies or something, and such a thought made Ren laugh.

Currently, it was December, which was making itself well-known - bringing down as much beautiful snow as it could muster (that wouldn't cause that many issues for trains, roads, and people), it clearly juxtaposed the setting a month ago, during the Japan Series. The sun was setting, yet one wouldn't have been able to tell, as the sky was currently a dimly-lit grey.

Ren looked up and out of the window, slightly worried by the conditions - with his hand placed on the glass, he could feel the frosty chill coming from outside.

 _'Is the weather feeling tense, too...?'_ Ren wondered silently. 

The thought made him think of Takaya once again - holding his hand, in particular.

The memory hurt. 

"Hey, Ren, we're---..."

Upon hearing the door to his apartment open up far too familiarly, Ren jumped and turned around, beginning to scramble around.

"Shu-chan, Atsushi-kun! W—what’s up!?"

Stood there was Kanou Shugo - Ren's childhood friend, rival, and the ex-ace pitcher of Mihoshi Academy's high school department. Alongside him was Hatake Atsushi - Ren's old catcher and undoubted bully from Mihoshi, who saw the error of his ways, once the pitcher had transferred away to Nishiura, and had won against Mihoshi in a practise match.

Currently, the two were roommates, and Ren's neighbours in the same apartment complex.

Before, Shugo was a boy of small stature - however, as time passed, he became bigger, and taller - like before, he was still the same height as Ren - yet he insists that he's taller by an inch. His dark brown hair became just a tad bit longer and shaggier, and his light brown eyes were currently inspecting Ren thoroughly so, putting said boy on edge.

Atsushi remained pretty much the same - a wide, beefy guy with a shaved head, round nose, and beady grey eyes - although, Atsushi now had hints of stubble growing on his chin that he insisted on styling (much to Shugo's annoyance, when they had to be somewhere in a rush - like tonight). His arms were currently folded, and he was grinning at Ren.

"Sorry…were you busy with something?" Shugo asked apologetically, scratching the back of his head.

Ren quickly shook his head, turning around properly to face the two.

"N-no! No, I wasn’t, you two just took me by surprise, that’s all!" He reassured.

Shugo didn't believe it for a second - Ren knew that. But he wasn't too keen on being deciphered by someone as caring and observant as his childhood friend tonight, who knew that, for years, he was suffering with Abe Takaya-homesickness. So, instead, he smiled as genuinely as he could, fidgeting with his fingers.

Luckily, Shugo paused for a few moments before leaving it at that, and going back to the main matter at hand.

"Just letting you know the taxi is here,” The fellow pitcher informed, walking up to Ren, “We'll be coming back late, but if you need anything, give us a ring." He added on, taking Ren’s hand, and scribbling a restaurant’s name and number on it with a pen.

"Y-yeah, that's fine! Thank you, Shu-chan!" Ren chirped brightly once Shugo had let go.

"Hey, you sure you don't wanna come with us, Ren-Ren? It's been a while since Hiroyuki came to visit from Osaka." Atsushi stated.

Oda Hiroyuki - the old first baseman and cleanup hitter of Mihoshi Academy, before transferring back to Osaka for university, and staying there since. After all of these years, he still visited Shugo and Atsushi quite often, Ren noted.

To be honest, the ex-ace pitcher was quite jealous - having such a long-lasting friendship over the span of nine years. Every time he hung out with the trio, he felt like he was intruding on something special. But Shugo would assure him that he wasn't - _they_ were childhood friends, after all, and had a long-lasting friendship, too.

"Sorry, but I...I visit my parents every Christmas. I can't." Ren replied, before squinting his eyes over at Atsushi, "Also, quit the 'Ren-Ren' nickname, already." He muttered.

Shugo studied his neighbour for a few moments in shock, before bursting out into hysterical laughter, and Atsushi quickly began bowing up and down in frantic apology. 

"What is it, Shu-chan?" Ren asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"N-nah, I was just thinking---You've...really grown up, huh?" Shugo asked with a warm smile.

Ren paused at the reply, before he could feel his face flushing, and tore his eyes away from the fellow pitcher. There was something odd about Shugo, Ren noticed – just the way he would pause and think, before speaking as though he was extremely proud of Ren. Well, now that he thought about it, Ren was pretty proud of himself for growing up, too.

"N-not really..." He replied with an extremely transparent laugh, in an attempt to remain humble.

"Ah, oh well. Next time, then." Shugo replied, grinning and ruffling up Ren's hair.

Atsushi still hadn’t given his background apologies a rest.

Ignoring his roommate's idiocy, Shugo hadn’t stopped smiling as he walked back towards the door.

"I'll call you at some point later tonight, though - just to talk to him real quick."

"Yeah, that would be nice!" Ren beamed, "Thank you."

“Don’t mention it.”

"But, Shu-chan…”

“Hm?”

“Are you and Atsushi-kun _still_ not talking?" Ren asked with a nervous laugh.

"Of course we're not! This idiot used up all my shampoo!" Shugo replied defensively, grabbing Atsushi by the ear, "He doesn't even have any hair! Had to kick him in the balls and teach him a lesson!" He added on.

"Ow, ow, ow, Shugo, Shugo! It hurts!" Atsushi called out.

Ren laughed weakly after Atsushi was dragged out of the room by Shugo, who waved one last time at Ren with a smile.

“I should get ready…” Ren told himself, beginning to scamper through his wardrobe.

* * *

 

The lights hung up and around the city truly gave away the fact that it was Christmas tonight – a white one, not to mention. Lovers were bundled up in each other’s scarves and walked closely side by side, over the moon by their exchanged gifts – their entwined hands and kissing said that much, and the falling snowflakes were dancing around every individual.

Ren was no exception, but he _did_ feel out of place in such a romantic setting.

On his way back home from his parents’ place, the snow was becoming more and more prominent, once it had hit 8:00pm – Ren was lucky that his mother had thought twelve steps ahead, and bought him new winter clothing for his Christmas gift. Of course, the pitcher had gotten changed into them in a flash, and was filled up by the nostalgic food that his mother would make for him, back in the day. Of course, he bought his parents a ton of gifts, too, to which they insisted that he shouldn’t have. But he insisted back.

The pitcher buried his newly-gloved hands into the pockets of his new, furry-hooded parka coat, dirty green in colour. His crème-coloured beanie hat did a wonderful job in keeping him warm, too, with strands of his hair poking out from underneath. Aside from that, he took this time to realise just how long the journey towards the bus stop really was – being in the heart of Tokyo was still as draining as ever, and the many people walking past, or bumping into him, placed an emphasis on his point.

Still, he noted just how nice the open shops were on an evening like this – they were all playing festive music, with people dressed up as either Santa, an elf, or a reindeer, shouting out offers and discounts, and the queues were massive for those who needed things last minute. The marketplace was just as busy, too, Ren noticed.

As he made his way past a pâtisserie, Ren noticed one of the cakes put on display at the shop’s window – it was a strawberry cake, with an edible icing holly right in the center of it, wedged between the strawberries placed on top.

The sight was an extremely delicious one, and Ren felt himself gulp – at some point, he had stopped right in front of it, and had inched closer, placing a hand on the glass. Maybe he should buy some, and have a mini Christmas party of his own - watch a few movies, too, and treat himself to some ice cream afterwards - it was tempting.

" _Abe-san!_ " 

Ren paused, quickly taking his mind off of the cake.

" _Abe Takaya-san? Please wait!_ "

He blinked, and his eyes grew wider in registration – pulling away from the glass, Ren stared at the man who had just walked out of the shop, wearing a smart, black peacoat – one hand was in his pocket, whilst the other held a smartly-packaged box, evidently containing a Christmas cake.

_'Abe...-kun?'_

Eventually, the man had stopped in his tracks, and turned around after the pâtissier had called out to him one last time, quickly rushing up to him, clearly out of breath, and holding something out for him.

"You forgot your receipt!" She beamed.

"Oh, thank you." The man replied.

"Not a problem! Please enjoy the cake and have a Merry Christmas!"

 _"Hey, did she just say Abe Takaya?"_

_"You mean the catcher from one of the Eastern league teams?"_

_"Ah, you're right! It's Abe Takaya of the Urawanishi Lions!"_

_"Yeah! He's crazy smart! His leads have caused them to win against most of the teams in the Southern League!"_

Ren quickly widened his eyes, tensed up, and felt his breath grow shorter – he had to get a closer look at the guy - if it really was Takaya…

_‘If…if it really is Abe-kun…after nine years….’_

What could Ren say to him? What could he say now, to attempt conversation?

At some point, whilst Ren was lost in thought, the pâtissier had quickly gone back to tend to her shop, and the man was still stood at the same spot, looking down at the receipt in inspection. People were still staring and whispering to one another about the man, but Ren knew that he had to approach him. He couldn’t let this chance escape so easily.

_It was a sign, it had to be._

After some reluctant inching closer whilst fiddling with his fingers, Ren found himself stood right in front of the guy, and tapped him a few times – lightly and awkwardly, with his heart beating like a jackhammer.

Eventually, the man tore his eyes away from the receipt, and looked up into Ren’s eyes. After nine years of the other 5%, a persistent memory, there was no doubt about it - this really was Abe Takaya - Ren's old catcher, the one who had made their battery so strong. The one who cared about Ren the most. Ren felt his heartbeat speed up even more so, and his face flush a deep red. 

" _Uhm…I---Uh...the cake…f-from that shop…is it…ni—nice?_ " Ren began, and couldn’t help but wince awkwardly – well, so much for having the confidence to speak to Takaya without stuttering. How did he expect to thank the catcher, when he couldn’t even tell him who he was?

"Oh, yes, it is."

" _I---uhm...uh..._ "

"Are you alright...?"

Ren pursed his lips awkwardly, eyes wide whilst staring down at the cake in Takaya’s hands. Eventually, he swallowed down his nerves, and leaned forward with a beam.

" _I...like being a pitcher!_ " He stated, feeling his entire body tense up afterwards.

Takaya stared, clearly taken aback – for what seemed like forever to Ren, eventually, the taller of the two let out a chuckle.

"Oh, a fellow baseball player?" Takaya asked, smiling warmly at the pitcher.

Ren nodded at a rapid pace.

“Sorry, but…I don’t have anything to sign with for you.” Takaya replied, presenting the cake bashfully, “And my hands are kind of full.” He added on.

Ren quickly brought his eyes to meet with Takaya’s frantically.

" _N-No, that’s not it! I---_ “

No good – his words were failing him again. Just like those nine years ago, his words weren’t getting the point across properly. There was still so much he had to say to Takaya – he wanted to rekindle the friendship, he wanted them to be…something, anything, at this point! Even acquaintances was fine! But a 5% thought? The thought made Ren tear up, which he hadn’t done so for quite a while.

“A-Abe-kun, you were the one who cared about me the most! S-So, so I---I want to...I want to---to win!" He stuttered out all at once, as loud as he could possibly be, whilst sniffling – after saying what he wanted to, the tears threatened to fall at any second, and Ren quickly stared down at the floor once again, tensed up, and prepared for some form of rejection.

Of course, Ren’s behaviour caused Takaya to tense up in shock – he stared at the shorter guy, before taking what he was saying into account. The deafening few moments of Ren’s quiet sniffling, the murmurs of other people, who believed that they were arguing, was somewhat distracting.

But Takaya’s eyes widened in recognition, and he parted his lips out of disbelief.

"... _M--…Mihashi...?_ " He asked.

Ren slowly raised his head, staring back at Takaya – he was equally as shocked. Takaya didn’t call him Ren, but it would be strange to at this point, right? They had to build up to it all over again. Their faces were both a flushed red, and Ren quietly exhaled a puff of cold air. But that didn’t matter! What mattered was that Takaya recognised him, and such a realisation made Ren tense up, and lean forward even more.

“ _Y-Yeah! Yeah, it’s me, Abe-kun!_ ” Ren yelled.

“ _Holy shit!_ ” Takaya yelled back, quickly dropping the cake to the floor – it landed with a soft thud in the snow, but Takaya didn’t even seem to care in the moment, as he quickly hugged Ren, who hugged him back, equally as tight.

“I haven’t seen you for nine years, Abe-kun!” Ren stated with a muffle, his face pressed into Takaya’s coat – it smelt of fresh cologne – pleasant yet strong.

Eventually, Takaya pulled away excitedly, his hands having a soft yet strong hold on Ren’s arms – the taller’s eyes and facial expression was bright, and Ren noticed that his green eyes were sparkling out of enthusiasm.

“I know, I can’t believe it!” The catcher beamed, “What are the chances we’d bump into each other?"

" _Slim!_ " Ren replied, causing Takaya to chuckle.

Eventually, Takaya let go of Ren’s arms, and there was a silence between the two – but Ren didn’t mind it. He was happy to see Takaya again, after all of these years.

"Hey, uh, Mihashi…d'you want to grab a coffee or something? Or are you in a rush?" Takaya asked, scratching the back of his neck.

Ren felt his face flush even more after processing the question, and rapidly shook his head left and right, much to Takaya's surprise.

"No, no rush! I-I was heading home - I just came back from my parents place!” The pitcher informed with a grin, “They still love Christmas."

Takaya paused, before smiling.

"That's cute." He replied.

"Pft, they're old now - _'cute'_ is a bit--"

"I mean _you_ , Mihashi." Takaya interrupted.

Ren let out a nervous laugh, before pausing, and staring at the other in stupefaction.

"Going out of your way for your parents, I mean.” Takaya added on, bending down and picking the box back up, “I haven't seen mine since moving to Tokyo." He sighed out.

Ren suddenly felt extremely stupid for misunderstanding what his ex-catcher meant by calling him cute, and he couldn’t help but laugh nervously once again.

"What about…your little brother...?" Ren asked.

"Ah, Shun? Well…He visits Tokyo from time to time." Takaya replied with a shrug.

Ren nodded, but didn’t know where to look this time, or what to say next, which frustrated him.

“Well, shall we go, then? I know a really good coffee shop nearby here.” Takaya stated with a grin.

Ren paused, before nodding his head repeatedly with a smile.

“Yeah!”

Takaya stared at Ren surprise.

* * *

“I _still_ can’t get over it.”

“Over what, Abe-kun?”

“You. Looking so grown up - you used to be...well, pretty short..." Takaya stated, comparing their heights with a quick hand gesture.

As the two were sat opposite each other and seated at a small, circular table within the cofee shop, Ren stared in shock at the man who could, in the past, recite his weight, height, blood type, pitches, and more like the back of his hand, only to have forgotten all of those little details about him

"How tall are you now?" Takaya asked.

"I'm...uh...” Ren trailed off, before sending the man an apologetic look, “I don't know. I don't weigh or measure myself anymore."

"Oh." 

"Sorry."

"No, it's fine! Don't apologise."  Takaya replied, before exhaling with a short laugh, "Geez, I remember you being like that. Always apologising, and...pissing me off." He stated, "Although I had my own issues back then, I know."  He added on with a bashful grin, scratching his neck.

"We-we've both changed now!" Ren beamed, leaning over the table slightly.

"Yeah." Takaya replied with a genuine smile, "I'm glad, to be honest - you look like you're doing a lot better.”

“ _I am!_ ” Ren chirped.

“Moving away must've had some of its perks, then.” Takaya stated with a smirk, “D'you still play ball?" He asked casually, placing a hand on his cheek, elbow resting on the table.

"Of course! And I saw that you and Tajima-kun became pros!"

"Yup." Takaya confirmed with a nod, "Azusa and Yuto opened up a baseball centre, too - with indoor batting cages, and a baseball shop, and all that."

"Wh- _really!?_ Sakeuchi-kun and Hamai-kun did?!" Ren asked in utter shock.

"It's 'Sakaeguchi' and 'Hanai'." Takaya corrected with a laugh, "But yeah. They worked really hard. Had to dip into their savings and do a ton of jobs around our old neighbourhood back in Saitama. I'm at their centre in particular most days with Yuu." He informed.

“A-Amazing!” Ren beamed.

“Yeah, you should definitely come round one day. They’d be thrilled to see you after all this time.” Abe replied.

“Y-yup, I will!” Ren promised with a couple of nods, “A-and also, I’ve been watching your team’s matches, Abe-kun! How did you and Tajima-kun become pros?”

"Back in Saitama, during our last year at university, we were scouted to be players for our current team." He stated, before gesturing around them, "In the Tokyo Prefecture. Obviously. We were doing well in our university tournaments, so…yeah, it just sorta happened.” He informed, “I moved to Tokyo with Yuu, Azusa, and Yuto around three years ago." He added on.

"T--that's amazing!"

"Yeah. It's only a matter of time until we're scouted and signed by a Central League team - then, we'll be true pros!"

"You’re amazing, Abe-kun!"

"You keep saying '-kun'." Takaya pointed out, before letting out a laugh, "Drop the honourifics, Mihashi, we're not little kids any more."

"Oh, right, yeah...sorry." Ren replied with an embarassed chuckle.

"Again, with the apologising!" Takaya snapped, momentarily leaning over the table to ruffle Ren's hair and hat up with a grin, much to Ren’s discomfort – eventually, the catcher gave up and sat back down in his seat with a smile, sighing out, "Well, you did always add '-kun' to the end of everyone's names, so it can't be helped." He stated - more to himself in reminder, if anything, "So what about you?"

"Eh?" Ren asked as he was fixing the hat on his head.

"You’re not a pro." Takaya stated, before pausing, “I think it’s a shame. Your pitching was one of a kind.”

Ren shook his head.

"Pitchers like me are more common than you think, Abe-kun.” He replied.

“Nope - take it from a semi-pro player. You're different." Takaya shot back.

Ren felt his face flush once again, and he quickly took his mug of sweet hot chocolate, sipping it a few times.

"You must have been scouted in university, though, surely?” Takaya questioned, inspecting Ren curiously.

Ren nodded rigidly a few times after setting his cup down.

“But…truthfully, I didn’t know if I wanted to go pro.” He replied, “I’m indecisive about making big, lifechanging decisions, so…” He trailed off, “The scouters eventually gave up on receiving a reply from me – and even when I  _had_  made my mind up, and wanted to, they would have already filled up the position of pitcher in a flash.”

“So…you  _do_  want to go pro?” Takaya asked, clearly unsure by what Ren was trying to say.

“Uhm…right now...? I mean….I’m not…really entirely sure anymore…” Ren replied, looking around, and scratching the back of his head, “And, uh, I may not be a pro at the moment, but I  _am_  part of a small neighbourhood team.”

“Oh?” Takaya asked.

“Yup! With Atsushi-kun and Shu-chan, of all people!” Ren beamed, “They also live in the same apartment complex as me in Middle-ground Tokyo."

"... _'Middle-ground Tokyo'_?" Takaya repeated in question, “… _’Shu-chan’_? _‘Atsushi-kun’_?”

"After finishing university, I decided that the noisy, crowded space wasn't really for me. So, I moved out from the family home, and decided to live in middle-ground, calmer Tokyo." Ren stated with a laugh, "My place is a bus or two away from the heart of the city." He added on, before pausing, "And…Abe-kun, you don’t…remember Shu-chan and Atsushi-kun?"

"Those names ring a bell, but..." Takaya trailed off with a laugh, shrugging.

"Uh...uhm..." Ren paused for a moment in thought, before lighting up, "Ah! _Hatake-kun and Kanou-kun!_ From Mihoshi?"

Takaya paused, holding his chin in thought, before repeatedly nodding his head.

"Oh, yeah, I think I remember them.” He replied – Ren then noticed that the taller’s facial expression had hardened, after a few moments of thinking, “But…didn’t Hatake threaten to break your arm once?”

Ren paused after making eye contact with Takaya, and yet another wave of awkward silence overcame them.

Takaya instantly placed his hand over his mouth in shock at what he had just said, and Ren could feel his breathing become slightly uneasy at the influx of memories, staring down at his cup.

The Hatake Atsushi he knew now wasn’t the old one from his memories as a pitcher at Mihoshi. Everything was different now. Atsushi was his friend – an extremely loyal one, who wouldn’t stand for anyone insulting Ren, going into instant protective and defensive mode, too.

“ _Shit, I’m sorry, Mihashi---I didn’t mean—_ “

“N-No, it’s fine.” Ren interrupted, “But Atsushi-kun is totally different now. Y-You saw it for yourself as well, Abe-kun. After we defeated Mihoshi in the practise match.”

“…Mihashi, if I'm being honest, I don't really remember that much - it _was_ nine years ago, after all." Takaya replied.

"Yeah, you're right...s-sorry..."

"No, it's not your fault..." Takaya reassured, "I shouldn't have brought it up..."

An awkward silence still enveloped the two, yet Ren decided to lock eyes with Takaya's

“What I mean is, uh…is that…Atsushi-kun is a nice person! He learned from his mistakes, and he’s my neighbour, and my close friend!”

“Y-Yeah, if you’re happy, then that’s fine.” Takaya replied, relatively taken aback, “But...but if he does cause you trouble, then you can come to me.” He offered.

“He causes Shu-chan the most trouble if anything, and they’re roommates!” Ren replied with a laugh, “He finished his shampoo bottle, but he doesn’t even have any hair.”

Takaya snorted as he picked his mug of black coffee up, and took a quick sip of it, before setting it back down on the table.

"So, you got anyone you're seeing at the moment?" He asked Ren with a small smile.

"Uh, _'seeing'_?” Ren asked out of confusion.

"You know, a girlfriend, or someone?"

Once again, Ren felt extremely stupid, and knew that his face was heating up.

"Oh, uh, _n-no!_ ” He replied frantically, “No...I don't...have anyone I'm seeing." He stated, the words growing quieter and quieter with every passing second.

He then trailed his eyes towards Takaya, who was examining him in surprise.

" _Oh._ "

"Do _you_ , Abe-kun? Have someone you're seeing?" Ren asked.

Takaya let out a small exhale whilst smiling, shaking his head.

"Nah, not at the moment. But I've had... _experiences_."

Ren stared at Takaya in shock, prompting the catcher to begin explaining himself with a laugh.

"Unbelievable, right? Second year at Nishiura, a while after you moved away, Shino'oka accidentally confessed to me."

"O-... _oh._ " 

Ren remembered her very well - she was a sweet girl, and cared about the baseball team a lot. Ren was sure that Takaya and her would have made a very cute couple – he could see it.

"But it wouldn't have worked out, so I turned her down." Abe shrugged, "I was too absorbed in baseball, and I didn't like her in that way. Plus, I hardly knew who she was as a person."

Ren jumped after seeing Takaya shoot him a quick look – the pitcher then nodded with a forced smile.

"The team found out 'cause of Yuu's big mouth, but it wasn't as awkward as Shino'oka thought it would've been." Takaya added on, "She explained that she had no intention of acting on her feelings for that very reason, and that it's better if we just forgot about what happened. So we did."

"R-right..."

"She got over me well, and things weren't awkward for long - she began dating Mizutani in our last year. I think he mentioned something about them being engaged and living together now." Takaya informed with a small smile.

"Eh-- _really!?_ " Ren asked, stupefied.

"Yeah - they're still living in Saitama." Takaya informed.

"I-I'm so happy for them!"

"Yeah. And after coming to Tokyo, I had a girlfriend for a while. Thought I would marry her, but...you know." Takaya shrugged, "Just didn't work out." 

" _Oh._ "

"It was a shame because she met my family and everything, and I spent an unnecessary amount on her.” The catcher stated, “She was using me in the hopes of having some fun and being spoiled. Or becoming an aspiring pro baseball player's...something, at least. Of course, Yuu, Yuto, and Azusa were the ones to open my eyes."

Ren didn’t know what to say – he couldn’t make out Takaya’s facial expression.

"Abe-kun, are you…still upset?" He asked, somewhat reluctantly.

But much to his surprise, Takaya let out a scoff.

"Nope. I'm just upset I wasted my time on a relationship, when I could have been focusing on baseball even more. Funnily enough, I didn't actually love her. Yet I thought I would marry her. Weird, isn't it?"

"N-not at all!" Ren replied, waving his arms around.

“Well, all the same, it would’ve been nice to have you around.” Takaya replied, “But instead, you moved away.”

"Tajima-kun and you were the ones mostly angered by the news." Ren recalled with a small laugh.

"Well, yeah!" Takaya replied defensively, "It was so...random, you moving away! So out of the blue! We promised we would aim for the top together!" He added on, making messy hand gestures.

"I know, but Abe-kun, you promised you wouldn't get injured, either. Back then, I mean." Ren replied.

" _You brat---_ " 

Ren smiled at Takaya, who stared in utter shock at the action. Then, Takaya leaned back with a laugh - although it was more like an exhale, if anything.

"You've really changed, Mihashi."

"So have you, Abe-kun."

"Your face looks like it's lost some weight after all these years." Takaya pointed out, before frowning slightly and squinting his eyes, "Are you eating properly?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm just fine!" Ren reassured.

"You were a pretty frail kid back then," Takaya reminded, before his facial expression grew sour, "I remember you'd look at Haruna's muscles and swoon - you couldn't stop touching them---"

" _Ah, stop, stop, stop!_ " Ren instantly interrupted, standing up and leaning over the table to cover Takaya's mouth with a flushed face, "That's so embarrassing, don't bring it up!" He added on.

"Let's face it - you loved the guy and wanted everyone to know it." Takaya reminded with a muffle, his lips brushing against Ren's palm as he spoke.

The catcher was making eye contact, and had no intention of breaking it. Ren was taken aback, and couldn't help but quickly retract his hand.

"No, that's 'cause---" 

Ren bashfully sat back down after realising that he was drawing attention towards them.

"He was just... _cool_." He explained quietly, scratching his cheek lightly as he looked down at his mug, "H-Haruna-san...was a nice person."

Takaya let out a huff, turning his head away.

"Looks like you're still the same when it comes to him."

"He...he was nice to me." Ren replied, placing his right hand around his mug, and lightly feeling its glossy surface with his index finger, "He was someone who I could look up to...h-he made me think 'maybe I could become someone like him someday'...a confident and amazing ace pitcher..."

" _You're wrong, Mihashi._ " Takaya replied, taking Ren's hand off of the mug.

Ren blinked a few times in surprise, before seeing that, instead, Takaya had placed his hand on top of his own, leaning forward slightly.

"You're still putting him up on a pedestal. He's not some baseball god - Haruna has his own fair share of weaknesses." Takaya stated, but Ren was only half-listening, staring down at their hands resting on the table, "And you're plenty. I don't know why, even after all of these years, you can't see that." He added on with a mutter.

"H-Haruna-san is a better pitcher than me." Ren replied, "That's just a fact, Abe-kun." He added on, beginning to fidget.

Takaya frowned.

"A-Abe-kun, maybe…maybe Haruna-san wasn't nice to you before, but you can't deny that he did try to fix whatever had gone on between you two. He wasn't 'the worst pitcher'!" Ren stated.

Of course, Takaya stared at the shorter once again in shock, before sighing out.

"…Yeah, yeah, I know - I was thinking about it a while ago - that maybe I was wrong, or too quick to judge." He replied.

Ren smiled at his ex-catcher’s mature approach – that is, until the man had let out a scoff.

"But haven't you _seen_ him lately?!" Takaya asked, removing his hand from resting on top of Ren's, "He's an insufferable person to look at! Just 'cause he's part of a Central League team, and his team won the Japan Series last month, he thinks he owns the world of pro baseball!"

"Well, his team was declared the Japan Series Champion...I think he has the right to brag slightly."

Takaya sent Ren a sharp look, causing the pitcher to jump slightly and laugh nervously.

"He--He's trying his best. H-His recent interviews show that he's training really hard for future matches. A-and apparently, his team is going to America next year, to train even more - with other pro teams! I--I think Haruna-san really cares about baseball." Ren replied.

" _What_ , and other people training their asses off _don't_?" Takaya retorted in question.

Ren couldn't help but stare at Takaya in shock - he was a lot more transparent about his own insecurities after 9 years, it seemed.

Even Takaya himself seemed to be aware of it, after meeting eyes with Ren, and sighing out whilst pinching the bridge of his nose momentarily.

"Look, I know Haruna cares about the sport, and you look up to him,  but--..." He trailed off, before shrugging.

Ren felt tense.

There was an awkward silence.

"Look, uh, anyway…our team was invited by their general manager to come and see the way they practise as a 'learning experience'.” Takaya informed, “We're even having a practise match against them afterwards." He added on, and Ren beamed.

" _Really?!_ " He asked.

"Yeah. I'll talk to our general manager about letting you come." Takaya stated.

"T-that's amazing! Thank you, Abe-kun!" Ren replied.

"Yeah, don't worry about it - I'm sure he'll let you join the team."

Ren paused.

" _Wait---_ "

"As our ace pitcher. _Just like old times._ "


End file.
